Wrong
by always-kh
Summary: NOT AU. INCLUDES SPOILERS. So many secrets, so many opinions, and so very little time... And such little fragile things holding them all together. FULL AND BETTER SUMMARY INSIDE.
1. background basic info

**Story info thing**

**Dedication: **For psycholone he wanted some sokai so I'll try to have some fluff

**Disclaimer: FANfiction? **Really just let that sink in for a moment and if that doesn't work then how about this:** If I owned it do you really think I'd be writing this? **(hint if I did own it you'd be buying it and I'd actually have mullah and since neither is true…)** BUT to make it completely clear **(so I won't get sued) **I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING… EXCEPT the plot, I do claim that. So don't sue. **(it would be a wasted effort anyway I'm a poor college student.) And if I did own it you'd know. The pairings would be very different and there would be more yuffie and she'd be a playable character.

**SPOILER WARNING for all the games **(I'm ignoring the little we know about the ones due for release later on.)

**WARNING:** SPOILERS (for all the games currently out), some language, violence (no gore-fests though), and there shouldn't be anything else, there will NOT be adult content in this fic! It will have crack-ish and cannon pairings just fyi.

**Setting, etc:** this will actually skip around quite a bit within the kh timeline beginning on aspects and elements in KHI BUT it will focus on ideas, thoughts, and aspects not concentrated on in the game along with some foreshadowing and whatnot of my own. It will go in largely chronological order but i won't drag you through everything. I will try to get to the post khII stuff as soon as i can but it will take a bit of building to get there so things make sense later. Also to speed things up I will have seperate tie-in pieces you can read to understand some of the more complicated relationships that tie into the story that I will simply allude to and move on.

**Characters:** Riku, Kairi, Sora, Naminé, Yuffie, Tifa, Leon, Aerith, Cid, Cloud, Axel, Marluxia, Roxas, Larxene, King Mickey, Terra, Aqua, Ven, Ansem, Selphie, the faries, the villains, organization XIII, Yen Sid, other worlders, and others

**Genres:** mystery, adventure, friendship, tragedy, suspense, hopefully romance, certainly angst and drama, some humor...maybe more…

**Description blurb: NON AU. So many secrets, so many opinions, and so very little time... And such little fragile things holding them all together.  
**

**Fuller Summary:**

What happens when the past comes back to haunt you when you thought it was gone forever and when there is much more beneath the surface?

The past won't let any of them go unscathed… even if it never shows till they break…

Different people, different conflicts:

_Yuffie_: the master thief and intelligence finder extraordinaire is set on several things mainly getting answers because things aren't making sense anymore. Some are important-how do you forget someone en mass, where did the Heartless come from, can you kill them?, is a place still home if you've forgotten all about it?, and what about her own past? Why is there so much she's forgotten? Others are... less so- Cloud are you gay?

But there are much more important things at work as well_. _All her life she's wanted to know all the secrets in her past and now that she's on the verge… her memories begin to look more like nightmares and... she begins to wonder if ignorance truly is bliss… she has a choice before her which could mean more than she knows.

_Cloud: _His personal demons are much greater than those the others have faced and now… they're seeking him out.

_Aerith: _Healer to some, friend to many, known by none. She's good with masks but she's worried that's all that's left and that she's not strong enough to handle what comes next. She needs to be stronger right? Because they need her and she can't possibly allow herself to fail them.

_Squall/Leon: _He begins to wonder what is behind all of the facades they have shown for so long… And how it might affect them all. And just what is the flower girl hiding?

_Tifa: _Her search for Cloud is over, right? But why won't he talk about it? And… why was she asked such a strange request? is there even anything she can do about it? She has learned to fear being alone... maybe that's what makes this stranger so oddly intriguing... odder still is his secrecy and the similarities he seems to share with those around him. Can she see past her prejudices, impressions, and vague ideas to see who he really is, who they all really are, and what's going on?

_Naminé: _all she needs to do is figure out WHY so many strange things are going on. WHY she didn't disappear or recombine with Kairi, why she's back, and so many other things that don't make sense. And deciphering the mysterious message might help. 'Save Axel'… but how's that's even possible? She can't bring back the dead. So she has to solve the mystery. Oh and _then_ find out a way to separate from Kairi and tell Sora about what happened in Oblivion including parts she'd much rather keep secret about her relationships with the Organization members.

_Sora: _There is a new threat coming, one which, even the keybearer may not have an answer to, greater than any faced before… Can he survive it intact? What about when his whole life is thrown into turmoil?

_Riku: _He has always been the odd one out. His battle has always been one of the mind, and of trying to find his own place. But he knows secrets which may break their group apart, splinter it. And he has problems of his own: recently he started… aging for no reason… and there's always the darkness in his own heart. And the fear of 'Ansem's' final words coming true…

_Kairi: _She's feeling guilty for being captured and having forgotten him. And she still can't bring anything up: Sora's acting distant, Riku is friendly but reserved, and neither will tell her what's going on. She doesn't want to be useless anymore, she wants things back as they were, she wants them to trust her. But she doesn't know everything that's going and has gone on yet... By helping a new friend what will she learn? What role does her past play? And… why is Yuffie acting so strangely? Will she have a role to play at all? She's been feeling so insignificant beside the saviors of the worlds.

_All: _The clues are all there they just need to fit together the pieces, line them up. But can they do it quickly enough? Because time isn't on their side. Memory may hold the clue, but do they even _want_ to know the secrets which lie in their pasts?

**Pairings (some hinted at, some one-sided, and some actual pairings):** NamixSora (namora), RikuxKairi (possible hints), soraxKairi (Sokai), AxelxNamine (possible), NaminéxRiku (namiku), NamixMarluxia, Cloti, Claerith, Clouffie, AerithxLeon/Squall and (if you really squint) hints of Squiffie it depends how much you read into it… and possibly others.

**A/N:** many thanks to SecretAgent99 who is an AWESOME beta who will make this fic ten times better than it would be if you were reading my originals. also a shout out to Sponge of Horrors who has helped with story ideas, suggestions, etc and will hopefully keep me, and the fic, on track. **XD**

**also i have a poll up about pairings for my stories so go to my profile page and vote on it!**

**IMPORTANT what the lines and any other weird things mean:**

the lines to the right (...) means a change in the pov, time elapsed, etc

the lines like this (**~-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-~)** or long full paragraphs of italics mean there's a flashback

thoughts are in italics

**Meanings of different fonts, styles, etc:**

_Thought_

''_Mindspeak''_

"Talk"

**ps:** vote in my polls i like to keep changing em so check pretty often if you'd like.


	2. prologue

**Prologue**

She looked at the boy in the pod before her and her heart sank at the thought of everything... _waiting_ for her. And Axel was busy; he couldn't help her right now. Only that strange man, DiZ, for her to rely on. And he didn't like her. But the feeling was mutual. He constantly demeaned her, calling her "witch" and "Nobody" and… it wasn't like she'd never heard those words before… But… somehow she'd thought that those who were real—those who were lucky enough to have the hearts she finally understood why the organization members had spent their _existences_ looking for—would be nicer. "I guess you spoiled me Sora. Axel too," she tried to declare happily but the tears collected, prickling painfully at the back of her eyes again. She never could lie. Not to herself at least.

She'd been here for so long; she didn't even know how long; she didn't remember most of it, how it had begun. But she did know she'd been alone originally and then purposefully isolated. And it had been over a year ago when she'd given in, agreed to betray Sora if they promised she wouldn't be alone, wouldn't hurt anymore, and if they promised not to hurt him either for that matter. She'd known the promises were a lie. How could erasing his memory, changing it, rewriting it not hurt him deeply? But she'd clung to that promise nonetheless.

It had taken so much to get through to her, to make her realize that she had a choice; she didn't have to go through with it and she was strong enough to face the consequences or so she'd hoped. If only she'd realized that _then_ she wouldn't be here _now_.

"I wonder how things would be now, if I'd refused from the very beginning?" _I… probably wouldn't be here or anywhere…_ she realized after a moment's thought. The Organization members weren't kind to those who defected. But if she'd kept it secret… only pretended to change his memories then she wouldn't be here now about to restore his memories trying to fix what she had broken. And what was worse was that now she had to explain everything to his best friend. He would be able to see everything: the darkness in her, that she was only a cheap imitation of one of his friends. A fake. Wasn't that what he had called Vexen's replica of himself? The poor boy without a name or identity. So much like her only at least he had a heart. But the boy, 'the Real Thing', had rejected his fake just as he would reject her. But if just maybe she could just get him to listen first… he might hate her just a little less…

…..

He continued walking down the halls of this place; it was so… boring. Everything exactly the same. And everything so blindingly white that it felt like a hospital and made his eyes hurt. Only it was quiet, too quiet. And that made everything even worse because that meant he had time to think, to brood. And that was the last thing he wanted because the last thing he'd SEEN was himself fading away… and that brought too many questions to the forefront of his mind, things he couldn't or didn't want to answer. But he couldn't stop the flood of images his mind kept on returning to. A replica that looked just like him fading away into nothingness. And it… no _he_ had asked him, "What happens when someone who's not real dies? Where will my heart go? That is, if it doesn't disappear completely." Riku could SMELL the fear the boy, the fake with the same face, was trying so hard to hide and could feel it in this question. And now his own pathetic answer kept ringing through his head over and over, "It'll go somewhere. Probably the same place my heart will go." Those words were the best comfort he could offer but in the background he could hear the words which he'd left unspoken echoing around _I… don't know._ And he still didn't and that scared him so much more than he'd ever admit to. Would he ever just disappear in the same way? What would become of him? Would he just return to the darkness which kept trying so hard to claim him? Or would he be gone forever until not even memories of him remained?

But he was relieved to be drawn out of his thoughts when something new appeared before him… pods. And among them a girl. She looked a lot like Kairi only missing much of that vibrancy so he wondered if there was anything to this girl. All the colors seemed washed out from her from her pale smooth skin, to the hair so light it barely merited the word blonde, to her dress itself which was white just like everything else.

She shyly and slowly approached she looked like she might bolt any minute now. This must be that girl… the one… DiZ had mentioned. "You're Naminé?"

"Yes," she replied simply, almost tersely as if she was somehow on edge. Then something struck him- her scent… it seemed oddly familiar… that time when he was drowning in the light that hadn't been Kairi after all. "So… that was YOU," he murmured to himself.

"Huh?" she asked, apparently he'd spoken aloud…

"Forget it, nothing," he answered hoping she wouldn't press the issue.

"Please" she implored and for a minute he paused, his breath catching in his throat. Had she somehow read his mind, caught a hold of his thoughts? If she'd managed to thrust her way into that illusion and find him there and save him where else could she go? Inside his head too? But she continued, "…come this way" and he managed to breathe again. He watched as she turned. But his attention was drawn to the thing she was turning toward and he gasped, running over, "Sora!" he cried urgently, only to get no reply. He whirled back around to face her, "What have you done to Sora!" he demanded.

"Nothing," she protested and his posture relaxed just a bit. "He's just asleep," she amended and his posture eased again this time just a bit more. Then she continued "…to get his memory back." That in itself was shocking enough to take him _completely_ off balance and begin questioning her more thoroughly and without these unfounded accusations because he quite clearly knew nothing of the situation. He looked at Sora encased in that pod… _sleeping huh?_ Well… it was certainly better than dead… which was what his first panicked thoughts had been. And it didn't appear he was subject to some messed up experiments either.

He listened in growing astonishment as she told him everything. About this place, herself, her captors, and her role there. "So, Sora chose to forget about this castle and get back his old memories?" he asked, just trying to clarify everything.

But she must have figured that he understood everything, or at least enough to continue, for she completely ignored his previous question and, without missing a beat, informed him, "You have a decision to make, too". He decided to put it down to singlemindedness rather than rudeness; her manners did tend to come out rather… abrupt. But after all she didn't get out much… or at all actually from what he understood.

"Why me too?" he asked, glancing back to Sora's suspended form. "No one's messed with my memories," at least he hoped… He looked to her for confirmation. She just looked slightly down a little sadly.

He started feeling a little panicked but managed to keep it under control until she responded, "It's not your memories, it's your darkness. In your heart there is darkness and in that darkness is Ansem. He might be at bay for now… but eventually he'll awake and he'll take over you just like he did before. But I have powers you can use," she added, drawing her hand up to her chest in her earnestness. "With my powers I can put a tight lock on your heart," she explained, gesturing out to him gracefully with her other hand. He placed his own hand gently over his heart as she finished, "…that way, Ansem could never come out from inside you." It was funny how even with all this talk of hearts and the darkness within his own it still didn't FEEL any different than it ever had, and she didn't have one at all she'd said.

"What happens to me if I let you do that?" He locked eyes with her, "Will I forget everything like Sora?" Because… for some reason, he didn't think he wanted to forget this girl and he didn't know why. By all rights it was quite possible that he _should_ hate her for all she'd done to Sora, maybe even just for what she was. But he couldn't. Whose betrayal was greater? Hers or his own? He honestly couldn't decide. And at least with her he might have someone who could begin to feel what he did… after all what idiot had decided that Nobodies couldn't feel? But she didn't answer him and he found he could answer it quite fine on his own if he thought about it, "I'll have to."

"The darkness in you will be sealed tight just like your memory. You'll stop remembering the darkness. You'll go back to how you were. Riku, please choose," she asked him softly giving him a gentle smile.

He continued, his gaze fixed on the floor though his mind was elsewhere deep in thought. Then he looked over at Sora sleeping up there above him, "He doesn't even look worried. Will I sleep like that too?"

"Yes," she reassured him.

"Figures. Sora always did as he pleased. Whatever we were doing together he'd find a way to slack off. Even trying to leave the islands—I did all the work on the raft by myself. That's it. When this slacker wakes up I'll tell him off. I told him to take care of Kairi and here he is just taking a nap!" Here he gazed back at her, seeing her reaction, was that a hint of a smile? "But I can't chew him out like he deserves if I've been asleep," she now looked nearly incredulous with a bit of happiness in there and he just felt a little bit of an ego boost at that. After all, if he did this he'd be able to do something _Sora _hadn't been able to do—fix these things on his own even just this little bit instead of taking an easier way out. And this way he wouldn't hurt her. He knew she'd never admit it, but having someone chose to forget you… even if you know they have some very good reasons… it had to hurt a lot.

"I don't need my heart locked," he declared. "I'm ready." He clenched his fist, "I'm going to go fight Ansem."

"But what if his darkness overtakes you?" she questioned, unable to mask her fear.

"If that happens then the darkness will show me the way."

"Yes," she smiled and nodded at him in approval at this statement. "That's true."

"Heh," he managed, now feeling very self-conscious after that smile and confidence in him which she so easily expressed and he was so unused to. Why did he feel he'd just been cleverly played? "Why do I get the feeling that you knew that I'd say that?"

"I didn't know. I hoped. I wanted you to face the darkness, because you're the one who can."

"So that's the reason. That's why you came to my rescue inside that light in the form of Kairi."

"When'd you know?" she asked curiously.

"I knew when I met you. You and Kairi smell the same." He began walking away but one more thought struck him… "Look after Sora," he demanded, though they both knew that was unnecessary. He didn't have to look back to know that she nodded and smiled even as she watched him go.

He opened the door only to find that, to his surprise, the King waited there expectantly.

"Gosh. Guess you decided not to go to sleep," the mouse announced.

"How'd you know that?"

"I heard it from DiZ." Riku tensed as he saw the man on the other side of the room gazing at them with one bright yellow eye. Just like the Heartless. It was a little unnerving, but at least his eyes still had pupils; they still remained human looking. Was DiZ human? His eyes were even more unnerving because of their uncanny resemblance to Ansem's, both had that deep yellow cast to their eyes which even approached a rather fiery orange shade.

They both gazed rather transfixed by this mysterious figure, questioning each other rather than the man himself for they would get more answers this way.

He glanced at this new figure who'd suddenly thrust himself into Riku's life and asked the King, "Do you know him?"

"Well…I'm not sure. I've got a feeling that I've met him… somewhere."

At this rate it was better to get straight to the point so he walked over to the masked man… DiZ, the man had called himself, "So, who are you anyway?"

"Nobody… or anybody. It all depends on if you choose to believe in me or not."

"Boy you really like pushing decisions on other people," he snarked, not even attempting to hide his frustration. He wanted answers, not more damned riddles!

"And you pushed away slumber and chose to face Ansem," the man replied, his voice devoid of all expression so Riku couldn't tell if this was some kind of oblique insult, backhanded compliment, or anything else for that matter. No wonder Sora had gotten so tired of it all…

"Do you think I'm reckless?" he found himself asking before he'd even fully contemplated the question.

"You have chosen your own path."

"What, wrong answer?"

"It was your answer; I'm just here to watch."

"'Watch,' as in support me, or "'watch me get toasted'?" he demanded. Why would anyone watch something if they had no intention of interfering in some form or other? And he didn't trust or even so much as like this man at all honestly.

"That's for you to decide," the cloaked figure replied again and so the boy just stifled the urge to sigh in exasperation or roll his eyes. But then… DiZ handed him something…

"What's this?" he asked, stupidly staring at what appeared to be a cloak (and a pretty thick one at that) all black with silver and white zippers.

"The Organization will chase after you. Like hunting dogs they sniff out the "existence" of their prey and steal up to them. But if you wrap yourself up in something that is inanimate, you should be able to fool their eyes and noses."

Finally a real answer! Had that really been so hard?

But the man glanced as the King and continued, "Ears, however, are a different matter." Different in a good or bad way he wanted to ask, but he had enough sense to wait as the man didn't seem to always be forthcoming on information. "They are also protecting themselves in this manner." 'They' had to refer to this organization but… why would the hunters need protection? "…so as not to be swallowed up by the darkness." Ah, that would do it, he figured. "Do you understand what I mean? Not even the organization can control the darkness."

That most recent revelation was… not comforting to say the least. Did this leave him ANY hope against Ansem?

"It doesn't matter, I won't run from the darkness," he replied willing his voice to stay steady, after all he had to face it eventually… it was a part of him now, whether he liked it or not. He caught the card DiZ threw his way with ease.

"The card will draw out your heart's darkness. Finish your business with Ansem."

"Come on, let's go," he told the king who nodded and left the room along with him.

The arrived in front of yet another door and Riku looked down at the card before him. "He said this card will draw Ansem out…"

Apparently his unease showed more than he would have liked for the King immediately began trying to cheer him, saying, "Don't worry! We can defeat him together!"

"Sorry. But, I have to face him alone," he responded automatically— after all this was HIS fight.

"But why?" the King asked and Riku couldn't tell if that was hurt, concern, or just sheer curiosity in the mouse's voice.

"There's no point in doing this if I can't do it alone." But there was more to it than that because there was that big chance that he honestly didn't want to have to think about… But he had to admit it was there… "But, I do need a favor. If Ansem is the victor…" (because he couldn't find the strength to say 'If I lose…' he didn't want to face that possibility) "…he's going to enslave me. If that happens I want you to use your powers to destr—"

The King interrupted before he could finish silencing him with, "Of course! I'll be right there to save ya!"

Was the mouse hard of hearing or just that obstinate? "Huh? You're not listening." He was in deadly earnest did the King not understand that? "I want you to destroy Ansem and me with–"

"No can do! No matter what happens, I'm going to be there to help you. I'm not backing down. I already made my choice. Unless… you don't believe I'll come through for you…"

"It's my choice to believe or not." Huh, guess talking to DiZ had affected him— he was even starting to SOUND like the man—but he pressed on, "And I believe you, Your Majesty."

"Same to you. You will definitely not lose I know it," the King reassured him.

"Thanks," he wanted to smile, because somehow it helped just knowing someone else had faith in him when he'd already lost it for himself.

He began running down the long halls. Before long he was beginning to pant from the exertion so he finally demanded, "Ansem, where are you? Show yourself!" It was time to end this…

"What's the rush? I'll be here… at the heart of the darkness… I'll watch as you plunge into the very darkness which you wield…" the man responded from the empty air, his voice carrying down the hall. The boy carried on his running, his motivation renewed.

Why were these halls so long and confusing? He'd stopped running already, deciding to conserve his energy. No use coming into a battle already winded. And he didn't have to learn about losing his… prey? No, that wasn't the word for it; because, despite what he wanted to believe, he knew that HE was the prey- the man just wanted to toy with him. And anyway he could smell the darkness emanating from him and followed it into this room…

"Come on out, Ansem. I can smell you," the silverette called out to the air, feeling a little foolish.

The man portalled in, "Oh, I know what you can do. Your skill with the darkness has matured splendidly as you fight. But, I do not understand. Why accept the darkness and still refuse me?" the man demanded of him a portion of his self control slipping and the anger infusing itself into his voice as if he'd been personally insulted by that.

Riku honestly was at a loss at that moment; did the man really see the two as one as the same? What was he really getting into continuing to use this darkness? But… that girl… Naminé… and the King… they believed in him…

And still Ansem continued talking, Riku only paying him a little attention, "You and I are similar. We both follow where the darkness leads." So was that the reason he seriously thought the younger male would submit? And anyway he'd finally learned better that to follow the darkness; he couldn't trust it. But apparently the man misunderstood his thoughtfulness for the conversation changed tactics ever so slightly… "Yes. We exist in the same space so why deny me? Perhaps some part of your heart still fears that dark?"

Ok, that was it. "You're wrong," he replied coolly and continued, "The truth is –" here he drew his Keyblade and gave just the slightest smirk, pausing for effect, "you just really stink," he concluded snidely. He really just couldn't resist. And the man utterly reeked of darkness.

"Don't be foolish. You should know what sort of power you face."

"Yeah, I know." And oh did he ever… this was going to be tough but he also knew something else… "But, you forget. I used your powers once before and still lost to Sora. ALL the power you had to give." And there was no way he was going to lose to this guy twice. If Sora could do it so could he… he hoped.

"Very well. Then –" he backed up as the man paused to conjure something from the darkness. This was not going to be good he knew… "Sink into the dark abyss!" the man screamed at him, surrounding himself in darkness which poured from him and came in an overpowering gale at Riku who shielded himself from the main force of it with his arms and Keyblade, fighting to not get driven back.

Suddenly the force of it stopped and he glanced around, suddenly chilled. He was in another world, perhaps, this one grey and depressing as so many of the others but filled with what looked like snow. He dodged a clawed hand coming at him and Ansem 'hmph'ed (in disappointment he figured). But this afforded him a chance to collect himself and glance at the thing hovering in midair above him with Ansem in front of it, a big heartless with… was that wings? Very broad shouldered with what appeared like bandages or wrappings across its chest…it was… very… weird. That was the only description that came to mind.

The battle itself was at first more easy. The two stayed close by each other, Ansem directing attacks to blind him so the Heartless could take advantage and attack. But once he'd figured out that pattern it was easy enough to block. He dodged or deflected those attacks and then swiped at the Heartless which was wide open and expecting a helpless opponent. What was more difficult was when the two split up. The Heartless would begin sweeping away on its own and as he tried to focus on it (as he figured it merited more of a threat than Ansem for the time being if he'd actually taken the time to summon the thing) Ansem kept hitting him with jolts of darkness. It was very distracting having his attention split especially as Ansem tried to creep up behind him. To avoid this reoccurring he charged the Heartless and Ansem's own blast hit it. The man growled in frustration, cursing. Riku smirked. An angry opponent failed to think properly and was sure to leave plenty of openings. The secret was to take advantage of those openings. But for right now he had to find if the creature had a weak spot rather than just bashing indiscriminately at the thing. But as he kept up his barrage of attacks the thing disappeared; he'd defeated it!

Now back in oblivion they both struggled to catch their breath. Ansem was the first to recover. "Insolent brat!" the man cried as he sent another beam of darkness crackling and fizzing as if it too were alive hurtling towards Riku. Bracing himself, he held the keyblade aloft, feeling the force of the impact push him back ever so slightly as the Keyblade dissipated the energy. This had clearly taken his opponent by surprise so he decided to use this opportunity to its fullest.

"Ansem!" he cried, dashing over to the man, slashing through his now exposed midsection, "This is the end!" he announced harshly, still crouched from that last strike.

"Hardly… finished. I gave you… the dark… My shadow… lingers… I will… I will… RETURN!" the man roared and then everything became bright and then engulfed in a deeper darkness as the man exploded in a ball of darkness.

Surrounded by the darkness again he could only wonder if he had managed to lose again and he clung to this one thought, "Sora… Kairi…!"

Suddenly a blast of light obscured his vision, nearly blinding him for several moments as a familiar voice asked, "I know you wanted to do this alone but you don't mind a LITTLE help, right?"

Barely conscious, or so it seemed, he still nearly chuckled at that as the mouse helped him before he even had time to answer, swinging his shoulder around him the two were supporting each other and flying him out of this place. Finally he answered, "No, Your Majesty, I don't."

"Good," the mouse decided brightly and by then they were back out of the darkness and in Castle Oblivion. The two began walking once more and then, after a moment's notice, the King asked, "So, Riku… what's next? Are you going home?"

Home… a simple word that made his heart nearly burst with longing… Funny how what started this whole problem was that he wanted to get _away_ from it all… "I don't know if I can," he confessed. "His scent… It's still here," he clenched his fist almost unconsciously then loosened it. "It's really faint but it's still there. So I think his darkness may still have a hold on me…"

"Your darkness belongs to you. Just like your light. Until now I thought darkness was nothing but bad. But, my time with you made me change my mind. You've chosen a road I never thought of. Light and dark, back to back. With you they mingle in a way no one's ever seen before. I want to see where that road leads. And if it's okay, I want to walk that road with you."

Riku gave an appreciative heh of laughter as the king stretched out his hand to shake on it and so they shook hands.

"Wow, Your Majesty, I'm really flattered, I don't know what to say…"

"Gosh Riku, you don't have to call me 'Your Majesty', we're pals!"

"Fair enough, Mickey," he smiled, glad to have found a friend in this place.

"So, ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

They finally made their way out of oblivion a task which was mercifully much faster than entering had been. Once outside, they both donned their cloaks and Riku wondered briefly about the girl they'd left all alone in oblivion. She was taking care of Sora so maybe soon he'd be able to see her and all of his friends again. He wondered how much Mickey knew about the whole thing but decided not to ask for fear of breaking the silence around them. And so they continued walking on like that, or at least they did until they caught sight of DiZ. Riku scowled, "What are you making me chose now?"

"Will you take the road to light—or the road to darkness?"

"Neither. I'm taking the middle road."

"You mean the twilit road to nightfall?"

He turned, "No… The way to dawn," he replied, looking the man straight in the eye.

But he had a feeling as he left that something just might end up bringing him back to that place.

…

A girl stood on the beach alone. "Sora, you've been gone for so long now already. When are you coming back? I miss you. We all do. Riku too. We miss both of you. So just find him and come back okay? After all we made a promise," she whispered softly into the empty air.

Another girl came down from the ground above onto the sandy beach right by the waves so close she could feel the sting of the salt on her tongue. "You okay Kairi?"

"I'm just a little worried. I keep waiting for them… but I'm so worried. It's getting harder to picture his face now. Today I actually had to focus to remember exactly what he looked like, exactly how his smile lit up his face. And I'm so worried; what if I start to forget?"

The other girl hugged her, "I don't think you will. You love him right? And that means that even if you forget what he looks like, even if you forget his NAME… you'd still remember HIM right? Because he has a place all his own in your heart. And anyway there are always pictures to remind you of that. As long as that place for him remains in your heart he'll always have a place to come back to."

The red headed girl hugged her friend back so tightly her friend nearly had to gasp for breath, "Thanks Selphie. I needed that. And it's nice to know you're waiting with me too. And when did you get so smart about all this?"

"I've BEEN this smart, thank you! Imagine, all you can say to a childhood friend is how I 'got' so smart. Sheesh." They both smiled and broke into laughter at that.

"Thanks Selph, you're the best."

"I know. Now let's head back or you're going to get sick, it's getting colder out and it looks like it's gonna rain."

...;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;...

**A/N:**

so um is it any good? it's like my first time ever writing riku or kairi or selphie whom i know next to nothing abt so lemme know if anyone seems ooc. oh and much of the dialogue is actual in game quotes (from re: CoM). some are from the Japanese version which is IMO much better dialogue wise and others from the english version. so yeah i hope ppl didn't find this boring i'm just trying to set us up well so i hopefully don't need as many flashbacks, it's easier that way. and i hope it gives you a bit of a feeling for some possible future conflicts that's my goal.

**2 veryyyyyyyyy important notices:**

**1st**- **review! **i don't care if it's anonymous or not if you already reviewed you can do it again anonymously just leave your username in the subject line so i know who to contact. while i'm incredibly grateful to those who did review (pat yourselves on the back or somethin and know you're awesome and the awesomeness is totally appreciated) to the rest of you um it takes a lot to write this. and i do enjoy it anyway. BUT... i want feedback! i want to improve. i can't do that without you. hey even encouragement is amazing and keeps me going. even just ^^, or 'i like it', or 'good job' cuz when you see views and no reviews it's saddening.

(ps hey i have a new poll up! ;p)

**2nd (and maybe more important) **so I'm rewriting this fic as my former readers know but as you can hopefully tell from this chapter there will be new content, some revisions of inaccuracies and hopefully we'll see more characters earlier, and the oc's will be more developed and we'll hopefully have more of them.

plus i'm trying to figure out which pov to use b/c with so many characters using 3rd person will be difficult i think... but 1st person presents it's own b/c everyone will still be narrated as 'I' so it'll be more confusing maybe.

**ps** if anyone knows if there's a place with the conversations from the final fantasy games are recorded (I have help now for KH thanks Gamet!) that'd be great and this project would go **MUCH faster. just saying. otherwise the wait might be a long while. **i'm researching all the games, manga, and even all the ff games**,** plus medical stuff.** so more help is good.**


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